1. Field
The present invention relates generally to enhancing mesoporosity in zeolites.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0244347, for example, describes a method for introducing mesoporosity into zeolites. Prior to treatment, these zeolites, such as ultrastable zeolite Y (“USY”) CBV 720 provided by Zeolyst International, have a high silicon-to-aluminum ratio (“Si/Al”) and low extra-framework content. As previously described, these zeolites can be treated in the presence of a pore forming agent (e.g., a surfactant) at a controlled pH under a set of certain time and temperature conditions in order to introduce mesoporosity into the zeolites. Thereafter, the mesostructured material can be treated to remove the pore forming agent. Although advances have been made in the art of introducing mesoporosity into zeolites, improvements are still needed.